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Full Text of Senate Bill 844 - Strengthen open Gove]rttpn4/.w*Duftd4a)state.nc.us/.html1997/bills/se <br /> 31 <br /> GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA <br /> SESSION 1997 <br /> S3 <br /> SENATE BILL 844 <br /> Judiciary Committee Substitute Adopted 4/28/97 <br /> Third Edition Engrossed 5/1/97 <br /> Short Title: Strengthen Open Government. (Public) <br /> Sponsors: <br /> Referred to: <br /> April 15, 1997 <br /> A BILL TO BE ENTITLED <br /> AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW TO REQUIRE ACCOUNTS OF <br /> CLOSED MEETINGS AND TO PROHIBIT VOTING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT <br /> INCENTIVES IN CLOSED SESSIONS. <br /> Additional Information Available on: <br /> Section 1. G.S. 143-318.10(e) reads as rewritten: <br /> " (e) Every public body shall keep full and accurate minutes of <br /> all official meetings, including any closed sessions held pursuant to G.S. <br /> 143-318.11. Such minutes may be in written form or, at the option of the <br /> public body, may be in the form of sound or video and sound recordings. <br /> when a public body meets in closed session, it shall keep an account of <br /> the closed session so that a person not in attendance would have a <br /> reasonable understanding of what transpired. Such accounts may be a <br /> written narrative, or video or audio recordings. Such minutes and <br /> accounts shall be public records within the meaning of the Public <br /> Records Law, G.S. 132-1 et seq. ; provided, however, that minutes or an <br /> account of a closed session conducted in compliance with G.S. <br /> 143-318.11 may be withheld from public inspection so long as public <br /> inspection would frustrate the purpose of a closed session. " <br /> Section 2. G.S. 143-318.11(a) reads as rewritten: <br /> " (a) Permitted Purposes. -- It is the policy of this State that <br /> closed sessions shall be held only when required to permit a public body <br /> to act in the public interest as permitted in this section. A public body <br /> may hold a closed session and exclude the public only when a closed <br /> session is required: <br /> (1) To prevent the disclosure of information that is <br /> privileged or confidential pursuant to the law of this State or of the <br /> United States, or not considered a public record within the meaning of <br /> Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. <br /> (2) To prevent the premature disclosure of an <br /> honorary degree, scholarship, prize, or similar award. <br /> (3) To consult with an attorney employed or retained <br /> by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege <br /> between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby <br /> 1 of 2 05/15/97 09:0 <br />